New Microsoft Edge rolling out to Windows 10 through Windows Update

Microsoft Edge Surface Laptop 3 Wb
Microsoft Edge Surface Laptop 3 Wb (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • The new Microsoft Edge is rolling out to Windows 10 PCs through Windows Update.
  • The new Microsoft Edge is Chromium-based and works with many popular extensions.
  • The Chromium-based version of Edge has been available to Insiders for months.

Microsoft's new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge is rolling out to Windows 10 PCs through Windows Update. The new browser will roll out to Windows 10 PCs running Windows 10 version 1803 or later. Microsoft explains which PCs will receive the update in a support document (via MSPU. Generally, Microsoft refers to the new Microsoft Edge as "Microsoft Edge" but since it's rolling out to many people for the first time, we'll call it the new Edge in this article.

The new Edge is based on Chromium, which is used by many popular browsers, including Google Chrome. Because the new Edge is built on Chromium, it works with extensions built for Google Chrome and is compatible with just about every popular website. It earned positive marks in our review from earlier this year, which notes that the new Edge combines a familiar UI with great web performance and access to Chromium-based extensions. As a bonus for people who don't like Google that much, the new Edge gets many of the benefits of Google Chrome without being Google Chrome.

Microsoft's support document states that the new Edge is available through an update to all Windows 10 PCs running version 1803 or later, but that doesn't mean you'll see the update today. Windows 10 updates often roll out gradually, so you might have to wait to see the new browser through Windows Update. If you want to grab the new Edge today, you can download it from Microsoft's website. Note that once you update to the new Edge, you won't be able to go back to the old Edge.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.